It's Your Plane is very special in many ways, not the least in that it is constantly evolving and being expanded..... free of charge too! I am sure you'll enjoy reading about it from time to time, and discover new and exciting things.

Alright, I'll not keep you any longer..... here's the latest news from It's Your Plane!

Do all of the Checklists?
Those of you who have been flying along side Michelle for the past few months may have noticed that I have asked her to cease and desist from asking upon start-up, "Captain, do you want me to run through all of the checklist as required?" The reason behind this change stems from the fact that nearly all NEW users have had a tendency to jump in (head first) and attempt to run down the checklists for 737-800 or 747-400 without knowing what to say or do. This, as we all know, can be intimidating! And, it leads to confusion and frustration. However, for those of you who have been working with Michelle, you can still run through all of the checklists by simply saying, "Let's do all of the checklists."

The foregoing is a perfect segue into the next subject...

The Quick Start Flights!
I dedicate this to all of the new users of the It's Your Plane application (IYP). PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE execute the very short Quick Start flights. There are two flights that depart from, and return to, Seattle (KSEA). The first has YOU landing the aircraft; the second has Michelle ASSISTING YOU in landing the aircraft. These two Quick Start flights are so very important, because in a matter of 15-20 minutes, you will become familiar with about 85% of the more important facets of the IYP application and you'll you'll save yourself a ton of grief... trust me!

Activate ATC Responses!
This is a feature of the IYP application, that issues a "1" to the Microsoft ATC window to acknowledge ATC instructions. In other words, if ATC pops up and says, "Climb and maintain flight level 250", without this feature you would say, "Select one" (or press the "1" key), followed by the command to Michelle, "Climb and maintain flight level 250". With ATC Responses activated, when you say, "Climb and maintain flight level 250", the system automatically issues the "1" to the ATC window, then Michelle sets the new altitude. To activate this feature, you simply say,

"Activate ATC responses."

A NOTE OF CAUTION WHEN USING THIS FEATURE!
You need to ensure that the ATC window is not open when you issue a non-responsive command to Michelle. For example, if the ATC window is already open with the first item on the list being, "Select a new runway", and you say, "Climb and maintain flight level 250", you'll get a nasty surprise! Oppssss!!! However, with a bit of practice and familiarisation, this feature can prove to be very helpful.

Yet another perfect segue...

Remembering Activate ATC Responses!
Before a recent software change, you were required to say, "Activate ATC responses." whenever you launched the IYP application. As of the recent load, this feature is REMEMBERED! Meaning that, once activated, whenever you launch the application, the system will say, "A. T. C. acknowledgement is active." To deactive this feature, simply say, "Deactivate ATC responses."

Execute Going Around!
You came in far too fast and you're not going to be able to capture the glideslope! Oppssss! Try saying to Michelle, "Execute Going Around." She'll pull up the gear, retract the flaps, slam the throttles to the wall and climb to an altitude of 2,000 feet AGL. Give it a try on the next approach... it's a real kick!

Rejected Take Off (RTO)!
You're rumbling down the runway in a 737-800. Michelle calls out... "Eight knots!". Before you hear "V1", say, "Reject Take Off" and see what happens! It's also a kick in the head!

Have You Crashed Lately?
The next time you crash an aircraft, listen to what Michelle has to say!

Yes indeed.... lots of fun with Michelle,

Regards,
Robert Cezar

PS. If you're new to our mailing list, please check out our previous newsletters... there's a lot of interesting stuff!